1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method for editing and correcting image data. The invention also relates to a program implementing the above-described method and a storage medium storing such a program therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, to perform image processing, such as trimming or color correction, the following procedure has been taken. After specifying a rectangular area, to be subjected to image processing, from the top left to the bottom right, as shown in FIG. 7A, with a pointing device, for example, a mouse, the type of image processing is determined by selecting a button or a menu disposed at the corner of the window on a user interface (hereinafter referred to as a “UI”). Then, an “OK button” or a “correction start button” is pressed to perform correction processing (see Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-034744). Alternatively, in a system without a “correction start button”, as shown in FIG. 7B, the mouse is dragged to specify a rectangular area and is then dropped to set the area and also to perform correction at the same time.
In the first method, however, the end point of the rectangular area can be far away from the “correction start button”, in which case, the user has to move the pointing device a long distance. Also, if there are plural similar buttons or small image buttons arranged at the corner of the UI, it is difficult to distinguish the “correction start button” from the other buttons.
In the second method, if the user is unfamiliar with the operation of the pointing device, he/she may not drop the mouse at a desired place and may fail to correctly specify the rectangular area, in which case, correction is conducted based on the wrongly specified area.